City of Exeter War Memorial Cross, Higher Cemetery

Summary

First World War memorial granite cross, unveiled 1922.

Reasons for Designation

The City of Exeter War Memorial Cross, which stands in Higher Cemetery, is listed at Grade II for the following principal reasons:

Historic interest:

* As an eloquent witness to the tragic impact of world events on the local community, and the sacrifice it made in the First World War.

Architectural interest:

* A slender war memorial cross in granite, with a strong visual association with the Southern Mortuary Chapel and surrounding burials.

Group value:

* With the cemetery lodge and the Northern and Southern Mortuary Chapels (all Grade II-listed).

History

The aftermath of the First World War saw the biggest single wave of public commemoration ever with tens of thousands of memorials erected across England. This was the result of both the huge impact on communities of the loss of three quarters of a million British lives, and also the official policy of not repatriating the dead which meant that the memorials provided the main focus of the grief felt at this great loss.

In addition to the combat deaths overseas, more than 1.6 million United Kingdom service personnel were wounded: many of these men returned home, either hospitalised or demobilised. To commemorate 187 men, whose deaths whilst in-patients in the Exeter War Hospitals were the result of their overseas service, the Exeter War Hospitals Organisation had asked to raise a memorial in Higher Cemetery. Permission was granted by the city Estates Committee in November 1919.

The design for a memorial cross by City Architect Mr J Bennett had been approved by March 1920. The estimate for laying out the burial plot and erecting the memorial was £1,400. A temporary timber and alabaster memorial was set up. Although the scheme was caught up in the councillors’ debate about suitable locations for war memorials in the city, the permanent stone cross was unveiled on 13 July 1922 by the Mayor, Mr PF Rowsell, and dedicated by the Bishop of Exeter. The works had been completed by Messrs Easton and Son of Exeter. As well as local men, servicemen from across the UK and from Commonwealth countries are buried in the plot and commemorated by the memorial.

Details

The Devon granite memorial cross stands at the centre of the First World War burial plot at the west side of Higher Cemetery, aligned with the Southern Mortuary Chapel (Grade II) and close to the cemetery lodge and Northern Mortuary Chapel (both Grade II-listed). The slender cross, ornamented with a small reversed sword on the face of the cross-head, rises from an octagonal plinth that stands on a low stone base. Bronze plaques are fixed to the faces of the plinth.

The main plaque, ornamented with the arms of the City of Exeter cast in relief, records the principal dedicatory inscription. That reads CITY OF EXETER/ IN MEMORY OF/ MEN WHO DIED IN/ THIS CITY FROM THE/ EFFECTS OF THEIR/ SERVICE OVERSEAS/ IN THE GREAT WAR/ 1914 – 1918. The commemorated names are listed alphabetically on the other plaques.


This List entry has been amended to add the source for War Memorials Register. This source was not used in the compilation of this List entry but is added here as a guide for further reading, 27 February 2018.

Sources

Websites
War Memorials Online, accessed 16 November 2017 from https://www.warmemorialsonline.org.uk/memorial/98933/
War Memorials Register, accessed 27 February 2018 from http://www.iwm.org.uk/memorials/item/memorial/25215

Other
‘The Fallen’, Western Times, 22 November 1919, p3
‘Exeter’s War Memorials’, Western Times, 31 March 1920, p2
‘Exeter’s War Memorial’, Exeter and Plymouth Gazette, 12 May 1920, p1
‘Exeter’s Memorial’, Western Times, 14 July 1922, p8

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